- Felicia Matlosz
- 559-304-9286
SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno) today announced that he has named the Downtown Fresno Partnership the 2025 Nonprofit of the Year for the 31st Assembly District.
Assemblymember Arambula said that the Downtown Fresno Partnership has been a champion for reinvigorating and strengthening downtown Fresno, in the State’s fifth-largest city, through collaboration and multiple approaches.
The Fresno organization will be recognized today with other California nonprofits at a luncheon at the State Capitol in Sacramento on California Nonprofits Day. The event is sponsored by the California Association of Nonprofits (CalNonprofits) in partnership with the state Assembly and Senate Select Committees on the Nonprofit Sector.
The downtown partnership is celebrating 70 years in 2025 – it was first established in 1955 as the Downtown Association of Fresno. The organization was reconstituted in 2010 as the Downtown Fresno Partnership when property owners, committed to their belief in downtown, voted to tax themselves to fund additional maintenance, marketing, events, and services.
Today, the Downtown Fresno Partnership continues to bolster interest and seek investment in the downtown area. This includes the organization engaging with universities and ag-tech initiatives to locate to downtown Fresno, with the goal of positioning the area as an innovation hub that supports economic diversification for the Valley. They also are working intently to spur development of retail and entertainment along a main thoroughfare in Fresno’s downtown, Fulton Street.
The Partnership has initiated numerous activities to draw more people to downtown. In 2024, they hosted and supported community events that drew nearly 100,000 people to downtown Fresno. They are on course to host more than 120 events in the next year, doubling the number from two years ago and with the intent of attracting even more people to the area and boosting revitalization efforts.
The organization also has undertaken beautification events downtown and operates the One Fresno Youth Jobs Corps Program’s downtown work site, hiring 73 people with barriers to employment (that’s 73 and counting) for part-time ambassador positions. Many of them have gone on to positions with the City of Fresno or other employers.
Assemblymember Arambula said: “The Downtown Fresno Partnership has been a tireless and creative catalyst in championing Fresno’s downtown. They have implemented different strategies and increased communication networks to showcase downtown and attract more investments, businesses, and housing. A dynamic downtown bolsters economic advancement and benefits the entire city. As Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer says, ‘Great cities have great downtowns.’ I couldn’t agree more, and the Downtown Fresno Partnership is a steadfast proponent to bring positive change to the heart of our city.”
Elliott Balch, President and CEO of the Downtown Fresno Partnership said: “At the Downtown Fresno Partnership we are grateful and honored to be selected as the 31st Assembly District Nonprofit of the Year. This award is a testament to the importance of our mission and the dedication of our passionate team and board. Our work is rooted in collaboration, so it is also a reflection on the many community partners helping us build a more vibrant, connected, and thriving Downtown Fresno.”
The annual California Nonprofit of the Year event gives elected officials the opportunity to highlight the important and extensive work that nonprofit organizations are doing in their districts and to express appreciation for the collective impact of nonprofits in communities throughout the state.
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